Xavi backs 23-year-old Barcelona loanee’s return next season | OneFootball

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As FC Barcelona take on Girona in their upcoming La Liga match, one of the players who will be attracting a lot of attention in this game will be the Spanish center-back, Eric Garcia.

The Spaniard joined Michel’s team in the last summer transfer window on a loan, and has gone on to become one of the key parts of the Girona team that punched well above its weight this season to compete for the league title.

Although the La Liga title has now practically gone out of Girona’s grasp, there is no doubt that Garcia has proven his mettle during this season. He has accumulated 2297 minutes this season in 28 appearances, and has also scored 3 goals in this process.

But still, his stay at the other Catalan club might not end for long, as he himself confessed his plans to return to Barcelona and compete for a place in the team recently.

Now, as SPORT has reported, the Barcelona head coach has also confirmed in a press conference that his team is planning to make a place for the Spaniard for the next season. In this regard, the Barcelona gaffer said:

“Yes, the idea is for [Eric Garcia] to have a place. He also had it this year; the intention was not for him to leave. He had to leave because of financial fair play, I said it at the time. I think he could have helped us, but the circumstances were what they were. Yes, the idea is for him to come back.”

Garcia has played at a high level during this loan season, and there is no doubt that he deserves a chance to play with Barcelona once again.

However, as Xavi himself mentioned, he had to leave last season due to FFP issues, which are not yet solved by the club, and Barcelona will have to find a way to adjust his wages in its limited salary cap for him to return.